Sign of Wish
by r-nica
Summary: /KxH/ How is it when the one you try to find ends up finding you instead? Hiromi learns it in a storm after falling for Takao's prank to check if she really likes Kai. But a certain beyblader is NOT happy when it goes a little TOO far…
1. Go Too Far

**DISCLAIMER:** Bakuten Shoot Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao and Sign of Wish belongs to Makiyo.

**I got the idea for this fic while listening to _Sign of Wish_ during a rainy night. The scenes just kept on entering my mind for some reason; I couldn't control my mind and since I haven't read a fic with this kind of plot, why not try it? If there's any story which resembles this, what a coincidence. Oh yeah, I'm using the characters in their G-Revolution forms already but since the time setting is between 2002 and G-Revolution, their attitudes are still pretty much the same, so meaning Takao is not yet the (more) mature guy that he is in G-Revolution. **

**Since I'm editing my notes... **

**I found a more credible chorus translation of _Sign of Wish_ while I was inactive in writing fics. Still, I give thanks to Sakuraa HiME for including another chorus translation in a review. I appreciate it a lot. **

**Anyway, let's get it on! Hope you enjoy! **

_I believe my dream is short-lived but in this corner of the world _

_As I endure sadness while I wait for those brilliant days _

_It will never fade..._

_A sign of wish_

* * *

SIGN OF WISH

ChApTeR 1

* * *

"This is it. This is the very last time, I swear."

"Takao, I've heard you say the same words just a few days ago."

"No, I mean it, Kyouju. This is the last time I'm getting a needless class cleaning because of Hiromi. Does that girl have a grudge on me or what? I always receive some sort of punishment from her practically every day!"

"Not that I can blame her. You always come late, disrupt the class often, not to mention 'conveniently' forgetting to clean the classroom when it's rightfully your turn—"

"Whose side are you on, anyway? Mine or hers?" Takao accompanied that demand for a question with a slight glare in his dark eyes.

"No one's, actually." Kyouju put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Don't include me. Besides, I thought you said before you'd rather serve detention without her around. And since she left school early today, you got your wish, right?"

"I'm beginning to wish I didn't actually wish at all. Having Hiromi stay with me to make sure I don't escape is one bad thing. Serving an ordered needless punishment with _all the other girls_ guarding me is another, just worse. I couldn't get out!"

"And apparently you weren't happy." How observant of Kyouju. "So Hiromi-san managed to get our classmates' cooperation to make sure you do your job, huh? I never thought our teacher would agree but she did. Well, we can't help it if we have such a very nice homeroom teacher."

"Or more likely she sweetened her act while at it. 'Sensei, there's something important I need to do this afternoon but Takao _has_ to clean the entire classroom alone for coming late _and_ disturbing the class with his antics for the nth time. Oh, what should I do to keep him in check without me around?'" Takao clasped his hands together near his neck, head bent sideway with eyes raised heavenward while mimicking in a ridiculously high-pitched tone what was supposedly Hiromi's voice, starry-eyed with sparkles and all.

"Now that's exaggerated. Hiromi-san never said that to begin with. Maybe you just thought you were lucky when she had left immediately because no one was going to watch over you. I guess you ran out of luck."

"I wouldn't be even in that room in the first place if it weren't for Hiromi. And in case she forgot, which she probably did, that _important_ thing happens to be a small farewell party for Rei and Max at _my_ place, and she's free and off to shop for it while she expects _me_ to help a lot to prepare it. You think that's possible when she had me stuck with cleaning the classroom all by myself? I don't mind about the party for our friends but she has to stop being a pain in my neck even for just a week."

"You shouldn't say stuff like that about Hiromi-san. She's your friend."

"That's the problem! She's _supposed_ to be my friend! I thought after everything we'd been through, from our first encounter with the Saint Shields to the very last battle with Zeo, she'd be a lot nicer to me during class, but noooo! Inside school she's still the same old bossy class president I always have to put up with."

"I guess inside school her duty is more important than your friendship," Kyouju noted almost dryly.

"No kidding. There must be some way to stop her from continuing making my life hell."

"Come on, she's a different person when it comes to the team and beyblading."

"How I wish. If it's not about food, it's about how long I sleep. I bet she's never like that around you guys, especially Kai. In fact, I think the only time Hiromi's acting humane is whenever Kai's around. It's like all of a sudden she becomes super nice to everyone, including me—" He stopped, realizing what he was saying.

Kyouju's brows rose. "What?"

A piece of memory flashed him its light. _Wait a minute…_ Takao remembered those two times he had asked Hiromi pointblank if she had a crush on Kai after catching her in the act of secretly gazing at the older teen sometime after their last tournament. The third time had been about her faint blush though. Of course the girl had been in major denial about it but to the Japanese champion, it hadn't been much of importance to him.

Until now anyway. _Yeah… _The wheels of brilliance in Takao's mind started working on the formation of an idea. An idea too brilliant to be true. But if it was going to work to his advantage, then why not try it? It was also amazing how fast he could come up of a way to execute it. "I think Hiromi likes Kai, as in more than just a friend. And we can prove it."

"_We_?" Kyouju echoed. "You're not thinking about including _me_ to—"

Takao nodded. "Why not? It's the perfect solution, Kyouju! If we can prove that Hiromi really has a crush on Kai, not that I think she'll approve letting the news spread, then I'll have a hold on her and make her stop bugging me and ordering me around! I mean, she doesn't have any plans in letting _Kai_ know how she feels about him, does she? Hey, maybe it's _my_ turn to order _her_ around. That would be so much fun as a payback for a change." Okay, so it was more of a scheme than a real solution, but hey, as someone said before, the end justifies the means, right? Or was that the means justifies the end? _Ah, who cares?_ Once he had the control over the brunette—

"Your plan is to _blackmail_ her?" Kyouju shook his head. "Well, count me out. This is a bad idea. Hiromi-san's my friend, _our_ friend, and with that plan of yours she'll only get hurt when she finds out."

"Come on, Kyouju! We'll just see her reaction, that's all. We won't really _hurt_ her."

"You're not even sure about your guess."

"It's not a guess, Kyouju. It's a fact and I'm absolutely sure. All that it needs is living proof."

"I don't want to join you. Hiromi-san's been a good friend to me. I think the reason why you want to do this to her is you have a problem with each other."

"Not that she'd care about knowing that," Takao muttered.

"Care about knowing what?"

Takao's body turned into hard stone at the sound of Hiromi's inquiring voice just three feet away from him. _Damn it, did she hear what we're talking about?_ Just imagining the dreaded answer sent chills down his spine. "Hiromi," he greeted weakly, turning to face his dark-haired oppressor carrying sets of grocery and shopping bags in her hands. _Oh no, she's not smiling._

"So you finally got out," the girl stated, staring at Takao in suspicion. "I hope you didn't attempt escaping from duty again."

"Yeah, yeah." _With your horde of brainwashed followers heavily guarding me, how can I even try?_ Takao rolled his eyes. As he did, he took note of the dull gray sky above him, pulling at his red jacket a little tighter. The wind had been blowing weirdly lately, he noticed, but his paid attention to that died the moment his eyes fell on Hiromi's less than enthusiastic face. "How long have you been standing there?" _Say you just got here, please say you just got here!_

"Long enough to hear you say that I wouldn't care about knowing something." Hiromi's face was scrunched up with a frown. "Is there something you know that I don't?"

_Good enough,_ Takao thought, relief washing over him at her answer. Then he did his best to adopt a somber expression. _I hope I can pull this off properly._ "Well… yeah. It's… Never mind; you wouldn't be able to understand it."

"What is it? Tell me." Hiromi's attention was fully captured. "Maybe I can do something about it."

"It's… It's about Kai. I'm just worried." Takao's voice oozed with fake sadness and worry. "Well, forget what I said; you can't help anyway."

"Takao, how can I even try to help if you don't tell me what the problem is?" Hiromi was visibly filled with impatience but Takao could have sworn he detected a glimmer of worry in her eyes. "What's this about Kai?"

Takao stared at the ground. "Well, for the past few days, he's been becoming more distant and colder to everyone, including us. We try to figure out what's wrong with him and ask him what's the matter but he just keeps on brushing us off. He just doesn't care."

The brunette's eyebrows scrunched. "Really?"

Takao nodded. "I think Kai has a problem but he won't let us help him or even let us know. Lately he keeps on disappearing from everyone else's sight, sometimes even during the night."

The worry in her eyes grew but then suddenly vanished. "Nice try, Takao."

"W-What?" Oh crap, she didn't fall for it? "What do you mean?"

"Oh please, Takao. You've always been such a bad actor. Like remember the time you wanted to show up so badly at that tournament where you were first defeated by Ozuma and you tried to pretend you were having some problem with your—"

"I know, I know." _But you fell for that in the end,_ he wanted to say but bit back that comment instead. One wrong word and his plan would fail for good. "But this time it's different. I'm telling the truth, honest! Kai may be even drinking without us knowing it!"

"You can try it the next time, Takao." If Takao thought Hiromi wasn't capable of scoffing at anyone, well, he did now. "I'm not falling for another of your award-deprived acts again."

"This is a serious matter, Hiromi!" Takao yelled, secretly in great surprise that his voice was filled with anger he didn't know where it originated. But his desperation for his plan to work was getting into him, making him act in ways he couldn't control. "I didn't know it's so bad to care about one of my closest friends! Kai's suffering from some problems none of us has an idea of, and I can't help thinking if he's doing some stuff just to forget about them. What if he has been drinking in secret, even as of this moment? He wasn't even in the dojo when I woke up today." That last sentence was actually true, he realized, but what mattered now was for Hiromi to believe him. "Of course, you wouldn't know about that. You're not around the team lately, only just now for the party."

The disbelief in her eyes sparked again but soon diminished. "So is Kai really… having problems?"

Takao nodded, then swept his gaze across the darkening sky, unable to look directly at Hiromi in the eye. Cool wind blew once again, teasing his bangs to block out his eyes and he brushed them away from his face.

Hiromi followed his gaze although she mistook its message, a worried look on her face. "Takao, Kyouju, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

Dragoon's wielder watched as the girl hurried to the nearest telephone booth and made a call. After a minute or two, she emerged, now seeming to be in a hurry.

"What happened?" Kyouju inquired, visibly confused by her actions.

"I called at the dojo. Max said he hasn't seen Kai since last night." Hiromi picked up her shopping bags together with her school bag and shoved them at her two friends. "Take these back to the dojo for me, will you?"

"What are these stuff, Hiromi-san? Hey, where are you going?"

"Stuff for the party and my farewell gifts for Max and Rei. You guys go ahead and prepare the party without me. I'm going to look for Kai."

"You mean _now_?" Kyouju looked bewildered as Takao bit back a grin. "I don't think it's a good idea—"

"I'll be all right, Kyouju!" Hiromi raised her umbrella to indicate her point before dashing off until she was out of the boys' sight.

And once she was, the grin Takao had been holding back stretched fully. "See? I was right!"

"Well, I have to agree with you on that." Kyouju turned to the capped boy. "Aren't you going to go after her and call it off? You've seen how she reacted already."

"Nah, let her be that way for a while. Hiromi may be a slave driver but she's smart," the latter reassured. "She'll come to her senses in a few minutes or so."

"I hope you know what you're doing. I have a strong feeling you'll be regretting this later."

"Don't worry." Takao eagerly picked up the bags Hiromi had left them. "Now let's get these to the dojo."

_Mission accomplished. _

* * *

More than one hour later, Takao was pacing back and forth across the floor of the dojo. Around him were small trays of various food and a banner, or what should be a banner, hung carelessly at the wooden walls. "Why isn't she back yet?"

Kyouju covered his well-hidden eyes with his hand in doom. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Hey, guys. I'm back."

Takao spun around but was disappointed to find Rei at the entrance, shaking off his raincoat.

"What, not happy to see me, Takao? Not exactly the kind of reception I was hoping for." The Chinese beyblader scanned the almost empty practice room. "Where is everybody else?"

"Takao." Max put down the phone, starting to look uncomfortable and worried. "Tachibana-san said Hiromi-chan's not home. In fact, she asked me if she's here because of the party."

"Hiromi-san's gone?" Rei's brows scrunched with the hint of question and concern. "What did I miss?"

"Damn it!" Takao completely ignored Rei, worry gnawing him. "Max, what exactly did you say to Hiromi? Before she left she said she talked to you on the phone."

"Not much, just where everyone was because she wanted to know but she was very particular about Kai." The blond's freckled face screwed with a frown. "Takao, do you know exactly why Hiromi-chan would call like that?"

"Well…" _I'm so dead._ He wished he didn't have to answer that one.

Rei stepped forward. "So you mean Hiromi-san is still somewhere in a bad weather like this?" His voice incredulous, catlike eyes studied the harsh winds blowing outside.

"Well… so is Kai too, isn't he?" Takao attempted, trying to sidetrack his brunet friend.

"Forget about Kai! Trying to digress won't work, so say it."

"Takao, you have to tell us!" Even Max sounded demanding.

"I didn't know it would go too far!"

"What would go too far?" Rei demanded. At Takao's hesitation, he turned to the boy with the laptop. "Kyouju, do you know what Takao's hiding? This is important because we don't know what's happening now to Hiromi-san as I speak."

"Well…" Kyouju started, "Takao tried a prank on Hiromi-san this afternoon… I guess she hasn't realized it yet."

"A prank?" Rei repeated. "And it made her stay out in the beginning of a stormy night like this?" He shot a look at Takao.

"How the heck was I supposed to know she was going to take it _that_ seriously?" the Japanese teen defended, not liking the disbelieving stares his teammates were giving him. "I thought she would easily figure out that it was just a prank."

"Takao!" Max and Rei shouted at the same time. "How could you!"

Kyouju tried to slide away, turning on the radio that was just nearby. "I think I should be looking out for the weather update…"

"I didn't mean for it to get out of hand!" Takao just wanted to see her reaction, not this! And with everyone reprimanding him, there was no way he could worm out his way of this one.

"Well, you have to bring it back under control." Max's usually cheerful expression now stated _disapproval_. "And based on the way I last talked to Hiromi-chan, I have a feeling your prank has something to do with Kai."

"Well, it does have something to do with Kai." Takao tried using as less facts as possible.

"Hold it." _Disapproval_ slipped back into _disbelief_. "No way! Say this is just a figment of my imagination gone haywire but Hiromi-chan is spending the night now _looking_ for him?"

"Look, I'm sorry! But—"

"So Hiromi's not back yet."

The familiar masculine voice behind Takao made him freeze. _Uh oh._ He slowly turned around to find Kai standing at the entrance. From the intimidating glare he was directing at Takao, it was clear that he hadn't missed a single word the navy-haired teen had said. "Kai, you're back."

Kai completely brushed the greeting off, the seemingly deadly advances of his feet making Takao wonder if he would still get to live after this. "What exactly did you tell her?"

"Gee, I didn't know she'll react that strongly about you!"

"Five seconds, Kinomiya. Spit it out." Kai's voice steeled at the command.

"Guys, bad news!" Kyouju exclaimed from his position on the floor like he was on the verge of a panic attack. "The typhoon's expected to be at full blast anytime—" The message was cut off by a very sudden spell of hard rain, accompanied by loud hissing sounds of swaying branches of the trees nearby.

"—as I speak," the data analyzer finished helplessly.

Kai looked at each guy's face. "And she went off _alone_?"

"Well…"

Without another word, Kai turned around to leave.

"Wait, I'll go with you, Kai!" Max offered.

"No, I'll go alone. We don't need another person missing." The older teen stopped to cast one last stony glance at Takao. "Nothing's going to save you from this conversation." Heading toward the gate, he grabbed the nearest object nearby.

Max tried going after him. "But Kai, that's my…"

The door was shut closed.

"…umbrella."

Takao ran and opened the door wide. "Kai!" he called after his teammate. "Hiromi's using a dark red umbrella!"

Rei slowly shook his head. "Trying to help Kai won't ease your punishment. You might as well confess everything, Takao. Because whatever you do, you'll still be in _serious_ trouble when they come back."

* * *

**Chapter one ends! (Hiromi, to have someone like Hiwatari Kai searching for you in the typhoon, you lucky girl!) Okay, I just want to ask for a little advice. Regarding the next chapter, I don't know yet what to choose between two options: uploading the next very l_ong_ chapter and then end of fic, or, split the chapter into two shorter ones. Some feedback explaining the better choice would be nice. This is not really a matter of the majority wins but it helps me decide better. **

**Please review and tell me what you think. Shall I continue? Unless it sucked, of course, I can just end it here... Flames will be doused by the typhoon rain. Thanks. :)**


	2. Needle In A Haystack

**DISCLAIMER:** Bakuten Shoot Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao and Sign of Wish belongs to Makiyo.

**-looks at reviews- Wow... I had hoped to get some reviews but I didn't know they would be _that_ many! Thank you so much, reviewers! -hugs reviewers- Each meant a lot, and I _really_ appreciate knowing some people actually love this story. ****To all who gave advice about this chapter (you know who you are, people!), I'd like to thank youvery much. You all raised good points, and after taking into consideration both sides of the options, I came to the decision that this chapter… -long drumroll- is _not yet the end of the story_. (I'll tell you a little something about this fic: It was intended as a one-shot but as always, one-shot fics of mine turn to two-shots or longer when concerning KxH). **

**kai/hilary all the way:** Thank you! :) Well, your hope is my command.

**DarkWolf88:** Thanks! :) This instantly became a fave? I'm touched.

Takao: -pokes-

Not _that_ kind of touch. Sorry if you got late on this fic's account…

**Penguin Pop:** Oh thank you very much! :) Actually, the fifth chapter of _Opening Pandora's Jar_ had been posted already a few weeks ago prior to this fic, so you can check it out. About the reviews, yes, you're right. I saw your point. Thanks for pulling me back to my senses again.

**Tailsy101:** Thanks! :) I hope you'll love this chapter as well.

**Phoenix-Roar:** Why thank you! :) Well, here's the chapter…

**elsiey:** Thanks! :) Yeah, I do feel sorry for Takao but really, it's his own fault. So yeah, he's gonna get it...

Takao: Eek! -Remy Zero style- _Somebody saaaaaaave meeeeee... I don't care how you do it just—_

Anyway, to save him the grief of a public punishment from Hiromi and Kai (which I suppose would be really bloody), I'd rather focus on the KaiHil owns! part which I totally agree with. Hehe, homework: any amount is always ridiculous.

**Goddess-Hope:** Oh, I will… :)

**Coralu:** Kai and Hiromi had a few interactions, like the part where he shielded her (and Kyouju, I think) from the falling rocks when they were in the stranded island, caught her before she fell to the sea/ocean/whatever (ZO was still the BBA Team's friend at that time), and also when she talked to him after Kai lost Suzaku to ZO. It's not much but since I instantly loved the pairing, I tried testing out how they view each other in one of my fics, _Dinner With Me_. If you're interested, you can check it out.

Kai: Beware, she did it out of fandom of me being paired to Hiromi, so—

Ahem. And I appreciate that you like my writing style; thank you! (and also for the compliments) :) Yeah, I think it's possible for Takao to do that to Hiromi.

**Nubia:** Thanks so much! :)

**carzla:** Here's the chapter. About the final chapter of _Dinner With Me_, I'm done writing half of it, so I still don't know when I can post it. But I will as soon as I'm done, don't worry.

**Kami's right hand girl:** Hiromi sure is lucky. Makes me wonder why there isn't anything like this between them in the series.

**Chibi-Kari:** Thanks! :) Well, wait no more.

BTW, you wrote in your review for _Never Enough_ that you got confused about who's talking. I can't reply in the fic so I'll do it here instead: **(Warning: SPOILER!)** Actually, it's the POV of the _personification_ of Takao's happiness/happy side or self. That's why it seems separated from him and speaks like an actual person, with lots of implications. By the time I realized how unclear that was, I immediately replaced the chapter with one which explains it but for some reason and no matter how many times I tried, it wouldn't be replaced. I guess you and the other readers read that particular one. -checks _Never Enough_- Oh, the replacing chapter appeared finally. I hope it would now make sense for someone who rereads it. Hm, a sequel? I haven't thought or planned of doing that before but now that you've suggested it, I may consider making one. Only I don't have much ideas for the plot, so if you have any, letting me know would be great. Thanks. :)

**Kais Devil:** Well, you have to read to find out… :)

**Kayla:** Thank you so much! :)

**whooptidoo-basil:** Thanks! What you said wasn't pointless, don't worry.

**hyperion x:** Thanks too! :) (KaixHiromi fans, hello!) Yeah, poor Hiromi. If you think of her as that, wait until you read this chapter (I just couldn't help her situation; it's for the glory of the story anyway)…

**star-shimmered-dragon:** I definitely will, thanks! :)

**Hutchy:** The umbrella thing? I never thought of that before. Then again, also speaking from personal experience, I've never heard of lightning during a typhoon (unless I misinterpreted your words). Kai will find her at… at… Sorry, not yet the time to reveal.

**Okay, now we can move on to the story. Hope you enjoy! :) **

* * *

SIGN OF WISH

ChApTeR 2

* * *

"_I don't know, Hiromi-chan. I really have no idea where Kai is or where he went." _

"_Well, do you know at what time he left?" _

"_Not really. All he left was a note saying he's going to do something. And there's a final line: 'Don't wait up for me.' I guess he left so early this morning while I was still asleep." _

"_Really? Wait, you said Rei's also not there. Maybe Kai's with him right now." _

"_I don't think so. Rei left just this afternoon, so I think he has his own business to deal with. Besides, when we all woke up, Kai was already gone. The last time I saw him was very late last night." _

_After what Max said, Takao could hardly be lying!_ Hiromi jogged faster, leaving the bridge behind her, legs already becoming lead from too much running without stopping for a break. _Kai, where are you?_

The wind had gained more strength than it had the last hour, beating her chocolate tresses across her face like whiplashes. Her hand quickly brushed them away but they kept coming back as though eager to block her vision. _The typhoon—it's really here!_ She was grateful, however, for bringing her umbrella with her, making the most out of it by successfully blocking the sudden downpours from the sky to protect herself. But only time would tell how long she could hold against the strength of the angry nature. For a while she regretted not bringing a raincoat or at least a fully sleeved jacket but there wasn't enough time.

Kai must come first.

But she couldn't find him anywhere. Hiromi had already tried the beach, the harbor, the park, the area where the entire team first met Yuuya—every place Kai usually went to that Hiromi could think of—but there wasn't any sign of him anywhere. Icy wind made the green leaves execute themselves in erratic dances in the air as though willing to do everything in their power to discourage her. Refusing to acknowledge the message, she checked the shelter under the bridge by crossing down the stairs. Her clad feet was, in an instant, stepping on a sea of grass, now seemingly flattened by the strong breaths of the air, rustling wildly, audibly, against the ground. The same sounds of the swaying branches away from her were heard as her hopeful heart sank in disappointment at the empty space before her.

A very sudden and strong wind blew, making some of Hiromi's chocolate strands fly directly to her eyes, stinging them. Instinctively she clawed at them away from her set of vision, but her resulting loosened hold on her umbrella wasn't strong enough to make it steady that another set of wind knocked it off her hands.

"Oh no!" Hiromi cried, running after the red object flying in midair, dark mud splattering on her legs, on the shoes she had cleaned so hard last night. But everything was out of her control as the umbrella landed on the river, a loud splash at first before resurfacing only to be carried away by its swift current splashing wildly. Clad feet did their best to go after it but her speed wasn't enough and she could only watch it drift away from her reach until it was no longer in sight.

Now she really had nothing to defend herself against the rain but there was nothing she could do about it. And it wasn't going to stop her from completing her own mission.

Ignoring the water right away seeping in through her clothes, Hiromi ran toward the center of the town.

* * *

_Tch._ Despite knowing somewhere at the back of his head that he should appreciate Takao's last-minute help, Kai couldn't help but scowl as shooting raindrops cut across the cold air in diagonal fashion. Like it would even be of the slightest help after it kept on failing him tonight. Here he was, searching the streets and shops for any sign of Hiromi for nearly two hours in the middle of a growing typhoon but he might as well attempt literally finding a needle in a haystack. People with different umbrellas. People in raincoats. People dashing through the streets with heads bowed to avoid their faces being hit by the rain. Where could a dark red umbrella possibly exist?

And it wasn't as if the horrible weather was making things easier for him either. So far the only soppy part of his entire profile were his legs below his knees but he knew dryness would only be so temporary for him. The direction of the rain was getting unpredictable, coming from behind him then a sudden assault from the front without warning. Now he was witnessing lateral waves of rain shower, the stubborn air currents being responsible for such.

But one way or another, he had to find Hiromi.

Kai's eyes squinted, trying out from his spot on the street if he could make a familiar figure from the small crowd of customers coming in and out of a gift shop before deciding to go for it. On the way he was nearly swept by another rush of hurrying people and he felt someone bump against him hard near the shoulder but paid no attention to the resulting quick apology. Finally reaching the door, he pulled himself in.

Only to find Hiromi wasn't there too. After a thorough search, Kai walked out, back to the cold streets again, somehow feeling back at square one. A part of him told him it wasn't completely true. It was a smart move for him when he had tried analyzing the situation from Hiromi's perspective. Knowing her, she would first look for him at the places he usually would hang out. Based on Kyouju saying the prank was done this afternoon, Hiromi would have been searching for around a few hours or so by now and finished looking at those places, so Kai had easily eliminated those choices and gone here instead.

And how would he rate his success now?

Kai started walking again, cursing Takao under his breath.

* * *

_Cold, so cold…_

Hiromi shivered, wrapping her arms around herself in a futile attempt of warming herself. Weariness was claiming her drenched body, her once soft bangs now a matted mess sticking to her wet forehead and her temple. The pale short skirt she had on wasn't helping her retain the heat she was quickly losing from her bare legs either. And her dual-colored top was just equally useless.

As fast as her feet could take, she hurried to the nearest shelter she could find—a narrow roof that represented the extent of a closed beyblade shop's territory—for no longer being able to bear the pounding of the rain. For a minute she lost herself to its deafening sound before her body trembled again as a gust of storm wind passed through the nth time. The tuneless music of hard shower and viciously traveling air playing together reminded her somehow of a faucet—on and off, on and off.

Her hands faced her, and for the first time she became aware of the light blue color of the lower sides of her palms. Drawing them near her mouth, hot breaths blew on the frozen hands to bring forth warmth. When it barely worked, she rubbed them together, creating as much friction as possible but the desired result was only temporary.

How she wished she had something hot to eat or even at least drink. After searching for Kai for what seemed to be an entire night, even though the back of her mind said that it was only for hours, her energy was depleting fast already, and realization told her she hadn't eaten anything since lunch.

Clammy hands dug into her pocket—only to find out that she had no more money left. Her teeth started chattering, goosebumps rising on her arms. _I forgot. I already spent it buying the stuff for the party and Rei and Max's farewell presents._ Then she gently touched her forehead—the part that had hit a stranger's shoulder tip earlier. She had tried to apologize to him properly but the moment she had looked up, the big droplets of water from the heavy night sky had blinded her eyes temporarily that she had immediately looked down to wipe them away. But when she had looked up, the stranger was already gone.

_It doesn't really matter,_ she decided, her eyes partly absorbing the sight of pavement, a dull dark gray field of sprouting water._ Right now I'd kill for money to get myself something hot or warm._ But the typhoon didn't seem to let her; in fact, it was as if it were making fun of her. _You are _such_ an idiot. Stop looking for him,_ it seemed to say. _It's so pointless. Do you even know where to find him?_ The cold wind blew again, sending the trash can near her to topple, scattering its dirty contents across the streets now ran over by only a few pairs of feet. Conveying the message, _People are going home now. Do yourself a sensible favor and do the same._ Teasing her disheveled tresses.

Teasing her will into giving up.

_I'll rest for a few minutes._ Her eyes closed slowly as she prepared to yield into relaxation. _Just a few minutes, and then…_

But instead of soothing darkness, all she saw was Kai drunk in some dark alley she had never seen before. Blinking, she tried to wave the vision away but it was replaced by another, this time Kai staggering in the strong rain. Various unpleasant images kept flashing in her imagination, with the final one of him lying unconscious on the hard pavement, and ill-looking thugs encircling him with sneers on their dirty faces…

_No, I can't rest!_ Not even for just a second. Her heart pounding wildly as the image faded away, she braced herself. _I have to keep on looking for him, and if anything happens to him just because I'm too late…_ She didn't even want to know, and she prayed she wasn't anywhere near finding it out. Time was so precious, and with each second wasted away, the urgency to find her friend grew even stronger.

So Hiromi ran out of the shelter and back to the fury of the typhoon again, forgetting all about herself, about everything but Kai.

* * *

_Damn it, where is she?_

Kai had finished practically the entire town already and reached a section where the street split into three more directions. It must be past nine-thirty already. _If I didn't know any better, I'd say I've been going around in circles._ But his acute memory told him that he wasn't and he was just following his gut.

So why couldn't he see Hiromi?

Kai's warm-colored orbs roamed across the streets, spotting people in various quantities. It seemed as though the number grew, then was reduced, then grew again. Shops and merchandise stores which usually lasted until midnight were starting to shut down, sending the remaining customers out, only to get stuck by the hard rain. A few of them opened their umbrellas and walked out as Kai tried making out their faces.

None belonged to the girl he was looking for.

_This is getting old._ Still, Kai took time to check the rest of the street further, making sure to be careful in deciphering faces. As he did, pieces of the conversation earlier came into his mind, reminding him again why he was here in the first place.

What he just couldn't get was what in Takao's prank that concerned Kai made the brown-haired girl go to look for him. Eyes losing focus over a crowd of walking shelterless teenagers across the street, his mind wondered for a while, then brushed the unanswered questions for now as he resumed walking in the right direction of the intersection. He would know as soon as he found Hiromi. No doubt the brunette would murder that idiot on the spot.

_Not if I kill him first. _

* * *

"Please, all I need is a minute. I won't be using your phone for long, I promise!"

The bulky man behind the window of the drug store ignored her and pulled down the blinds instead.

Her heart sinking, Hiromi was left standing outside. Without any money left, all she could resort to as a means to call at the dojo was to plead for someone to allow her to use any store's phone but everywhere she went, no one had been kind enough.

Going on an about-face, she was met by the sight of a sudden crowd of people her age who weren't wearing any raincoats or jackets, not even holding any umbrella. But she couldn't believe how easy it was for them to keep on laughing and hooting as though breezing through the typhoon was so enjoyable and they couldn't care less about anything else but fun. _Don't these guys worry that someone they care about may be stuck right here right now because of the storm?_ she wondered, letting the crowd pass first. _There is an awfully large amount of people out here. I guess we're all just the same._

Then she started walking again along the same sidewalk as everyone else when she spotted someone familiar just ahead of her and the group of people. Tall, powerfully built, dark-haired… _Kai!_ "Kai, wait!" Filled with renewed energy, Hiromi tried pushing her way through the crowd but Kai didn't seem to hear her. _I'm losing him!_ This crowd was slowing her down. Not caring how the other people would react, she forced her way, yet automatically leaving behind repeated apologies until she got out and rounded a corner to the left.

But when she did, she found nothing but a few people either in the same state as hers or fighting their way through their umbrellas. Hiromi ambled through a few meters in confusion. The chilly wind sent her body to shiver once more, and her teeth started chattered again. _Where did he go? Didn't he hear me calling him?_ Then her mind gained second thoughts. _What if he just looks a lot like Kai with his back on me? How can I even be correct? I didn't even get to see his face._

And then she heard it. A sound that seemed to be moaning of someone drunk. Of a drunk young man. From a nearby alley. Hiromi listened carefully before cautiously starting to enter, ignoring the screaming of her mind to go back before she got herself in some danger she wasn't aware of. Finally she made out a silhouette. "Kai?" she called out tentatively.

The silhouette approached her in staggering steps, and Hiromi's heart dropped as warning bells told her this guy before her wasn't the one she was looking for. But for some reason she remained frozen, as though the sudden panic replacing the blood in her veins disabled her brain to make her tired muscles move.

"Help me…" the guy slurred, falling heavily on Hiromi's shoulder, clutching on it for support.

The waft of alcohol from his mouth was enough to snap Hiromi into action, and she tried pushing him away but he was too heavy for her. "Get away from me! Somebody, help me!" _What's he going to do next to me?_ she thought frantically. "Help me!"

Through her hysterical movements and because she was just close to the nearest streetlight, the bloodshot eyes before her came into view while her own orbs widened in terror. Screaming followed while she finally managed to push back the young man's body but somehow his clutch remained on the sleeve of her orange jacket and she pulled back hard to free herself. A sickening tearing sound of fabric resulted but her torn sleeve was the least of her problems. The drunkard fell to the ground, and Hiromi used the chance to get away.

But just as she was turning around, a dirty hand grabbed foot and she shrieked in response. By reflex her other foot tried to regain her balance but landed in such a way that her ankle got twisted, the sudden pain shooting right down making her want to cry. Her back landed first, another reason to make her do the same but in a split second it was gone as her mind wildly raked for ways to get out of the eerie alley. Her captured foot did everything it could, kicking in all ways possible but it was useless. She screamed for help but no one was coming to her aid. _I'm just next to the street! Why couldn't anyone hear me?_

The drunken guy mumbled unintelligible words.

Her ears, now with sudden acute sharpness catching the last of his thick and slurred speech, "You'll make… a really sexy… savior…" even made the fear inside Hiromi grip her heart. "Anybody! Please _help me! Save me!_" Her arms and hands tried pushing back her body until she reached the mouth of the alley and kicked even harder but all attempts of escaping were futile.

Then a weak yet unwanted caress at her left thigh.

Reddish-brown eyes widened in revealed terror. "Help! _Kai!_"

* * *

**Okay, I'll leave chapter two to end here. Well, who said finding Kai would be so easy? **

**I'll be busy with a bunch of exams for the next week to come so I don't think I'll be able to post/read/review anything. **

**Please don't forget to review, people! Flames will be doused by the typhoon rain. Thanks a lot! Until then! :)**


	3. Finally I Found You

**DISCLAIMER:** Bakuten Shoot Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao and Sign of Wish belongs to Makiyo.

**Before any of you starts slashing me, many thanks to all reviewers and those who patiently waited for this final chapter. I know you might be wondering what took me so long to update. I won't bother listing here all the academic and personal stuff I had to endure lest you may be bored to tears but I nearly lost interest in the show. Well, thanks to the cold rain lately and to our local dub of Beyblade, I felt like writing again. At the same time, I spent months finding translations for _Sign of Wish_ and the people who are credible enough to personally translate this for me. Again, I give my thanks to Sakuraa HiME** **who gave a chorus translation. And of course, thanks to the people who wished me luck with my exams. **

**If there's anyone who wishes to see Takao in a, uh, how do I put this, sorry state for what he did, I know he deserved it and all but after much thinking, I decided to put it in a separate chapter. Like a special sequel. Besides, it would interfere with this fic's KxHness. If you have any ideas for this, feel free to suggest.**

**As some of you may have noticed, Kai and Hiromi ran into each other without knowing it. Actually, if you read more closely, remember the scene where Hiromi was passed by a crowd of carefree people? And the one Kai saw across the street before? Yep, the same; it's the second time they missed each other. **

**And I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend reading the fic of Wreckless Spirit, who, to many, is a well-known author here. Her story, **_Secret Desire_**, is one of the very few (if not rare) Max x Hiromi x Takao fics existing here, and it's enjoyable to read. Go and read it; you won't be sorry.**

**Final chapter. Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

SIGN OF WISH

ChApTeR 3

* * *

_Hiromi's ears, now with sudden acute sharpness catching the last of his thick and slurred speech, "You'll make… a really sexy… savior…" even made the fear inside Hiromi grip her heart. "Anybody! Please_ help me! Save me!_" Her arms and hands tried pushing back her body until she reached the mouth of the alley and kicked even harder but all attempts of escaping were futile._

_Then a weak yet unwanted caress at her left thigh._

_Reddish-brown eyes widened in revealed terror. "Help! _Kai!_"_

Kai froze, looking back at the street opposite the direction he was heading off to. For some reason his instincts told him to go back and he could get rid of the warning feeling. But wouldn't that mean going back to the same intersection he had left before?

After assessing his chances of finding Hiromi, he decided to follow the voice inside him.

* * *

_No!_ That single word tried to escape Hiromi's throat but was lost. She felt more like losing oxygen instead of regaining it when her heart squeezed in and out blood at the speed of the storm wind. "Go—!" _Go away!_ How could she have let fear paralyze her like this?

The caress rode just a little higher…

"Please—!" Now she was hyperventilating, if she wasn't already before. _Escape, Hiromi! Find a way to escape!_ It was her inner self frantically ordering her. She tried but was stepped on by panic when she heard only the same voice instead. Why did her mind feel even more like a block of useless wood? Why couldn't she think?

And higher…

Her eyes shut tight.

And then… it…

_Stopped? _

Confusion tried prying Hiromi's eyes open, though she dare not give herself any risk of doing so. _What—?_ Auburn orbs slowly gave in, a little disclosure at first before a sudden full widening.

The dirty young man—he wasn't moving.

The strange and most unanticipated scene before her kicked back her mind to control, her hand prying away the unwanted hand on her thigh before kicking the caught foot and backing away. _Escape, escape, escape…_

And then her foot slid off her shoe. Hiromi quickly moved back and picked up herself, running away despite the pain from her sprain as fast as she could, tears threatening to come out. _I'm not yet safe. I can't be!_ The loud chanting inside was getting so deafening as she started limping to the street on the right. _Escape, escape…_

But she caught sight of a door opening at the corner of the block she had rounded earlier. It was that of a store, she quickly realized, and watched as another young man emerged…

"Kai!" Hiromi had never been happier to see her lost friend, exerting her best efforts to reach him. "Kai, I'm here! Help me!" But why did Kai seem to ignore her? Couldn't he hear her screams? Fearfully she glanced back at the mouth of the alley, expecting the drunkard to appear behind her at any time. "Look this way, _Kai_!"

The loudest volume that made her feel like her vocal chords had been just ripped apart seemed to make Kai finally stop, the guy closing the door behind him.

Finally Hiromi managed to close the few meters separating them, relief and fear pulling at her from each side. She clung to Kai in terror, quite unsure if her next flurry of words were making any actual sense or they were just getting incoherent by the second. "Y-You have to help me, Kai! There was that guy—he—he tried to touch me, but I was looking for you, and then you—"

"Excuse me, but _do I know you_?"

The brunette mentally stepped back, the male image before her that took a step back himself registering for the first time. The features she was taking in… she realized… _He looks so much like Kai. I—No, even he would do._ "No, but—I need your help! I'm being attacked by a drunk guy—"

"I don't know you." Hiromi's hope for a savior stepped away from her further, eyes regarding her with a hint of disgust at her trashed and soaked appearance. "Go away."

"Wait, please!" Close to crying. "I need someone to protect me! I'll repay you in any—"

"Is there a reason to? You're none of my business anyway." The young man pulled away his arm from her cling, and without another glance at her, crossed the street.

"Please!" But it was so useless already. Suddenly Hiromi felt so exposed, so vulnerable, so _close_ to danger. This time too afraid to look back, her legs did the decision for her, finishing the sharp corner and not stopping.

Never stopping.

Just like the verge of her tears.

* * *

_She's not here._ Kai hurried past a streetlight planted on the intersection side. Why would that voice keep on telling him to head this way? Was he actually wasting his time?

Then he froze. He saw it. Near an alley just ahead of him. A shoe.

A very familiar shoe.

He rushed to reach it, and, upon seeing a lying hand clutching it, hoped it belonged to some other girl. Bending down, he pulled the lying young man's shoulder so that he would be facing Kai. He reeked of alcohol; this guy was drunk. Just when the beyblader was about to ask where the object of his search had gone off to, a tattered piece of orange cloth caught his eye, and immediately his head was filled by a very horrible and _degrading _scene that could have transpired between this guy and Hiromi. Anger seized him, causing him to grab the young man by his collar. "What did you do to her?" he demanded hotly.

But he wasn't answered.

Kai growled, fueled by hot energy. He brought up the figure with him and slammed the body against the wall, pinning him with strangling hands and burning eyes. "I said, _what the hell did you do to her!_"

The guy remained still.

He hissed, and before he knew it his fist had already connected with the drunkard's jaw _so_ hard, the hit was audible. A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of the guy's mouth. But Kai didn't feel any pain, just that undeniable thirst to do it again. He gritted his teeth.

And so he did.

And again.

And again.

Blood began coating the guy's mouth, yet Kai still felt that need to strike him at least one more time. He pulled back his hardened fist, ready to deliver the final crushing blow.

But as he glared with so much venom at his prisoner, even he could tell the latter had already passed out. Breathing heavily, Kai reluctantly loosened his hold on the drunkard's collar before finally letting him go. He would so much have preferred that guy to be conscious enough to experience being torn to pieces. _This is useless._

Picking up the shoe on the ground, he rushed out of the alley.

* * *

_I don't know how much more of this I can take!_ Hiromi slowed down as her adrenaline level lowered. The fear over that unneeded danger she had put herself in was being washed away by the heavy shower above her, enabling pain to register itself into her brain instead. Luckily the drunkard hadn't managed to follow her even when she had gone around the corner leading her to the street where she originally came from. And Hiromi had no plans of turning back.

Gingerly she knelt on one knee, examining her foot through uncontrollable shivers. Good news; it wasn't really a sprain as she had originally thought. She wouldn't have been able to run otherwise. Perhaps the terror she had felt before had misinterpreted the initial pain. Now upon closer examination, it felt somewhere between cramped muscles and dislocated ones but nothing broken. Still, it hurt like hell.

Minutes of limping through the sidewalk even spent more of Hiromi's energy—or what was left of it. Acid was practically dissolving her empty stomach, giving her the sensation of uncomfortable heat. She felt like collapsing to the ground.

_No, I will not give up,_ she thought, raw determination still living within her though at the back of her mind she wondered how much longer her body would last. She squinted through the cold rain, staring at the streetlights as her guide.

But her foot hurt again, and she collapsed on all fours. The pavement was practically ice as she tried to get up. Just when things couldn't get any worse, a speeding car zoomed past her, splashing dirty street water on her face.

Still she went on.

* * *

"Kinomiya residence, may I help you?"

"Rei."

"Kai! Where are you now?"

"Inside a café almost near the intersection." Kai's eyes momentarily stayed on the newly bought chocolate drink in his grip. He had to drink it; even he was starting to freeze already. "Tried calling you before but the phone booths don't work. Is Hiromi already there?"

"I was hoping you had called to say she's with you."

He silently cursed. His calm was already being sucked by the rain outside.

"Kai, it's been hours since you left. The calls from Hiromi-san's mom are getting more frequent. Takao's not doing any well either as he's been panicking for the past hour; that's why I'm answering the phone for him now. Hiromi-san could be anywhere. This typhoon is going to be worse sooner or later."

"I know." His glance flicked to the café lady observing him make his call with wary eyes. "Listen. I can't talk for long. They're about to close here. I'm going out now."

"All right. But call me again after thirty minutes, okay? That's the only way we can maintain contact."

Thirty minutes. Kai's gaze strayed to the freezing world outside the warm one where he was in right now. Many things could happen in thirty minutes. Just when he was about to agree with his teammate, his eyes stopped. So did his decision.

"Kai? Hello, are you still there?"

Finally.

"Actually, I won't need to."

* * *

_**"I believe my dream hakanai kedo**  
**kono sekai no katasumi de…"** _

_Kai, where are you?_ Hiromi silently pleaded, barely making out the melodious words from somewhere, trying to cut their way through the overwhelming pounding of rain. The wind howling through her ears, her body was absorbing every factor of coldness there was, like it was packing and compressing those factors to form ice from the inside.

_I can't run anymore. I'm not even sure if I can still walk._ The water trapped within her clothes was lending a hand on gravity threatening to pull her down to the ground, making sure to exhaust every ounce of the scarcely remaining energy left in her muscle fibers. Stopping right now felt like a sin but though her spirit was much willing, her shaking body was getting beyond weak, as much as she hated to admit it. _Kai, I'm so sorry. If you'll allow me to rest for even just a minute…_

Her jacket clutched itself heavily against the glass-like wall she readily leaned. A flash from behind caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to come face to face with the view of a singing brown-haired girl in black clothes from the huge television screen. Several stocks of the same equipment were aligned in succession, and she realized she was standing before an appliance store.

_**"Sabishisa wo korae nagara…"**  
_

The shopkeepers beside her location were pulling down their shutters but Hiromi was so transfixed by the video that she barely noticed. Delicately she rested a hand on the window she was looking through, frigid brooks sliding and parting at the tips of her pale fingers. Upon a closer look, for the first time she noticed how tinged with bluish-purple hue the base up to the middle part of her frozen fingers were.

Her attention shifted to the long-haired girl playing a guitar before her. _At least she's so dry,_ she thought wistfully. _I hope Kai's also like her._

**"..._kagayaku hi wo matte iru…" _**

Her gaze cast itself to the ground, to where she could see the heavy patter of rain. _I don't understand_. Frustration was gnawing at her already. _Why couldn't I find him? What am I doing wrong? _What_?_

**_"Itsumade mo kienai…"_**

Suddenly the patter ceased from the ground and Hiromi no longer felt the storm hammering its tears at her scalp. Surprised, she glanced up and through the reflecting glass caught a glimpse of something black and curved along the edges. Something above her. Something like…

_An umbrella? _

**_"A sign of wish…"_**

Hiromi spun around and a gasp escaped her.

Kai.

Holding an umbrella just behind her.

Looking very well, safe, _sober_ and _dry_.

"Kai!" Her mouth opened to speak further but couldn't get the words out. No doubt she was incredibly relieved but her gladness was just as very much as her confusion his appearance had left her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kai demanded, his face hardening.

"Kai, why are you—wait, I don't understand—" Forming a single sentence suddenly became difficult as many questions threatened to manifest themselves in her speech.

"There's a typhoon going on right now, Hiromi." Kai's voice rose above the noise of falling water so that Hiromi could hear him better, though she had a feeling that wasn't the only reason. "You should be at home or at the dojo!"

Finally her voice kicked in. "I know that!"

"Then why the hell are you still outside?"

"Looking for you!" Somehow Kai's nearly angry tone made her feel so defensive but the words shot out of her mouth with only a partial of her mind's consent. "I called at the dojo to check if everyone else is there but Max told me you haven't returned since morning and I was worried that you were lying in some alley or something wrong happened to you so—" The cold air choked her throat for a while. "—so I went after you to see if you're all right."

"You went after me? See if I'm all right?"

She nodded timidly.

"How could you have been so foolish, Hiromi?"

Kai's voice sounded harsh against the irregular blow of the typhoon wind, making Hiromi wince but it was really nothing compared to the hard slap of his words across her face. "Kai, you have no idea how restless I was until I knew you were okay! If you have been too passed out from drinking to even walk, who's going to find you? It's important to know you're safe, especially at this time of harsh condition!"

"Exactly my point. Did you seriously think that recklessly plunging yourself into this growing typhoon justifies you doing what you think is the right thing? I never expected a respectable and smart person like you of all people to be capable of that." A glare of disapproval etched his face. "Do you know what more could have happened to you if I haven't found you?"

_F-Found me? What's he talking about? I'm the one who's supposed to find him!_ But she still couldn't get over the sight of the exact opposite of what Takao told her. "But Takao said—" New thoughts cut off her words. No, he couldn't have—

"Look, listening to Kinomiya was your biggest mistake because whatever he had told you, it was nothing but a prank."

A _prank_? Hiromi felt her stomach drop. The problems, the possible drinking sessions in secret, every word from Takao's mouth were just a prank? And all this desperate searching for Kai in a storm like this had just stemmed from nothing but a network of lies?

Suddenly she felt like exploding. _I'm _so _going to_ rip _his head off!_

"Is that it? Is that what Kinomiya told you? That I was drunk?" Was Kai actually mocking her? "And you _believed_ him?"

"Stop it, Kai…" She didn't want to hear him right now. Growing intense emotions were pulling at her in different directions as she shut her eyes tight as though to stop them. _I did this for nothing… For Kai this means nothing… Why did Takao trick me like this? Why is Kai being like this to me? Just because he doesn't know that I care about him so much—_

Her heart stopped pumping blood at the last thought, her mind finally realizing what Takao had been up to. Her so-called friend was actually trying to blackmail her using her reaction to this prank of his, and unfortunately just realizing too late the list of reasons for that, Hiromi had directly played right into his hands.

Her bottled anger for him was suddenly channeled to herself. _Calm down, Hiromi…_ But as she did, she immediately knew that was a big mistake because with a clearer mind now, the wrong pieces of this imaginary puzzle embodied themselves, yelling at her why that puzzle couldn't be formed in the first place.

Was Kai even in the legal age to hold a drink?

And if Takao truly thought that Kai might have been caught in an accident, wouldn't he also come looking for Kai too, not giving up despite this typhoon being the true concerned friend that he was?

How could she have been _so_ stupid?

So stupid enough just because she cared.

"I can look out for myself. But you can't." Kai's penetrating gaze landed on Hiromi's nearly bare shoulder left by the irregular tear of her sleeve and darkened. He held up the shoe she had left behind. "How would you explain this?"

_How on earth did he get it?_ Suddenly she lost track of how she was really feeling, different emotions surfacing alternately inside her. Then all she was aware of was how her hand suddenly slapped her free shoe from Kai's hand. "It's none of your business! I want to be alone now, okay?"

Kai's eyes clouded, nearly matching the dark sky just above them. "I'm making this my business. You have a lot to explain on the way back to the dojo."

"No! You just couldn't get it, Kai! I was so afraid that you—Go away!" Humiliation overwhelmed her, tears at the back of her eyes threatening to let loose, but she wouldn't cry. Not in front of Kai.

"Go away? I did not come all this way to find you just to have my effort be wasted by you."

"Nobody told you to go out and find me! Just leave me alone! I'm not going back with you!" How could he sound so condescending? Hiromi spun around and walked out of the shelter of the umbrella, the pain in her sore foot shooting through her again but she ignored it.

"Hiromi."

"I said go away, Kai!" Mixed emotions were on the verge of making her burst, of making her free her tears. Kai, on the other hand, didn't leave his spot. Good, he wasn't following her. _I will not cry, I will not cry…_

But just as she made a few meters away from Kai, her foot was pushed to its limit and at the same time she couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly her knees dropped to the wet ground and she finally started breaking down, cracking voice falling into a sobbing whisper. "You… You don't know…" _You don't know the meaning of worry, Kai._

No response.

_But of course you wouldn't. Not someone like you._ Tired palms implanted themselves on the flooded pavement, tears from auburn eyes mixing with the murky water beneath her. She was beyond mad at Takao for tricking her, furious at herself for falling for his ridiculous prank that she could have avoided if only she hadn't been such a fool. At the same time humiliation was coursing right through her. After the way Takao almost discovered her secret liking for Kai, she should have known better than to think she was safe and let her guard down. Look where it got her now. She was so angry and humiliated.

But most of all, she was so hurt. Prank or not, the thought of Kai hurt and not knowing where he was at the same time had worried Hiromi sick. How could she not? So she had freaked out, risked her own health, ran through the freezing rain and chilling winds even when she lost her umbrella just to search for him and make sure he was safe and bring him back if he wasn't, and even nearly got assaulted in the process, all these for the person she cared about so much, even more than herself.

And now only to be repaid like this? When the guy she loved completely disregarded her effort and even got mad and put her down for it instead of acknowledging it?

_I never really expected him to thank me. But…_ Her heart whispered a silent wish but then laughed bitterly. Who was she kidding? _I will never matter to Kai the way he matters to me. Not even a sign or a shred of emotion to show that he cares about me at all. No, not Kai._ Deep down, she knew Kai would never return the same feelings even if she had the guts to confess. It was so impossible, that was why she could only wish. But even that wasn't even about to happen.

There weren't any stars shooting across this cold stormy night after all.

"Nobody's forcing you to tell what you don't want to say."

Somehow through her blurry vision, the raindrops disappeared again until only her tears were falling, and the next moment Kai's hand was handing her the soaked shoe. Hadn't he just demanded earlier to make her explain her actions? Was he now actually being… nice? But he still seemed to be angry.

Weakly taking it, she tried to utter a small thanks but another big wave inside washed over her. Her shoe. She couldn't face him, couldn't tell him how and why she lost it and what she gained from it instead. It only reminded her of why she had been doing all these sacrificing attempts in the first place, of being ashamed that she made a fool out of herself just for him.

Without waiting for Kai she got up as quickly as she could before the pain in her foot gave her away, sitting on the doorstep of the shop just next to her. Drawing her unharmed leg close to her chest, her trembling arms folded themselves on top of her knee and she buried her face there, unable to control the flow of her tears. Suppressing the pangs of her stomach. Cold. Soaked. Hungry. Shivering.

Hurt.

Kai stood beside her, back leaning against the wall without crossed arms, waiting with his usual silence until she was finally emptied of tears.

"I…" Hiromi took her time breathing until her shaky voice gained steadiness, even though her red-streaked eyes staring off the distance were betraying it. "I don't want to go back. I'm not yet ready." Not as long as she was feeling like this. Not as long as she was _looking_ like this. There was no way she would give Takao the satisfaction of his prank. "You can go back now, Kai. I'll be fine and come back soon."

"And be responsible if anything happens to you?"

_Of course,_ she thought bitterly. Now she was his responsibility. Hiromi didn't say anything.

But the next minute Kai was holding out to her his untouched drink.

"I can't," she protested. "I don't have any money to give you."

"Pay me later."

"But why—"

"Keep yourself busy. Don't get me wrong."

She turned to faintly smile but it was soon lost when she saw he wasn't wearing one. That made her silent for a while, wanting to kill herself for even hoping that he really did care. "But what about you?"

Hiromi never received a verbal reply, and instead watched Kai open the black umbrella and head over to the nearly closing cafe just across the street.

He was mad. She was sure he was.

But why would he leave his jacket right next to her?

* * *

A few minutes later Hiromi silently sipped the hot chocolate, the heat melting away iciness inside her. Despite the fact that she still felt drained, at the very least her muscles lost the numbness the storm had bound them with.

She stole a glance at Kai, who was also killing his time by drinking his own hot chocolate, his gaze focused on some point before him. What was he thinking about? She couldn't read his mind. She never could, never would be able to, and even more so, his actions would always remain indecipherable.

Her eyes fell on his jacket, still beside her. Did Kai pity her? Was just being a gentleman to her? Felt it was part of his responsibility? Whatever his reason, Hiromi was too ashamed of herself to even have the right to wear it.

Kai lowered his arm for a while, and without meaning to, Hiromi's eyes followed his movement. Now his drink was just at her eye level and... Her brow furrowed. And there were red stains coating the metal embellishments of his black glove. She hadn't noticed them when she had received Kai's drink before. Those couldn't be... "Kai... Is that blood on your hand? How did you get it?"

Kai's gaze never left its focal point.

_Why isn't he even looking at me?_ "Why don't you answer me?"

He remained silent.

She stared down at her cup. _He's still mad. He's got to be.  
_

"That guy..."

Startled, Hiromi immediately turned to him.

Kai's head had bent a little, gray bangs hooding his eyes. "Did he touch you?"

Though he still wore that undefined expression, she didn't miss the sudden strain in his arm muscle, the way his grip on his cup tightened. _Why is he..._ _He knew that much?_ Then as her gaze fell again on the crimson on and between his knuckles, alarm struck her. _No, he couldn't have...!_ "Kai, you didn't do anything to him, did you?"

"Did he _touch_ you?" Even his tone hardened.

"No!" she said immediately, then remembered that unwanted caress on her thigh, and she looked away. "Well, he nearly did..."

The sound of crushed styrofoam.

Hiromi whipped her head at him, her eyes widening. Brown liquid had already flowed out on Kai's fingers, despite the lower half of the cup still intact."But it's nothing, really!" she tried to amend hastily, not wanting to see him get more agitated. "He passed out before he could do anything to me. I managed to escape on my own. He didn't really touch me, Kai! Honest!"

Silence.

"Kai, I assure you one hundred percent that nothing happened." Hiromi then tried to switch to casual mode. "Besides, you know me; I would never let anyone hurt me. I'm a tough girl, remember?"

More silence. Then Kai's grip loosened a bit. "You really _are_ too foolish for your own good."

She winced at this. "What about you? What if you're the one who had been in danger? You did hurt him, didn't you?"

Kai stepped forward, transferring the damaged yet half-full cup on his left hand. He held out his other hand into the rain, the rivulets of water washing away chocolate and crimson, and Hiromi wondered what he might be thinking as he did so. But when he turned around, all he had was that neutral expression again, even when he returned to his original position and resumed drinking again.

More minutes of rain filling the silence.

Now it was Hiromi who was getting agitated. She had tried to ignore that burning question in her mind for the past hour, but she had to know. "How much did you hear about the prank?"

"Not much. You were said that your search for me has something to do with your conversation with Max and how you took it too seriously."

That was it? Suddenly the burden of worry was off Hiromi's shoulders.

"Now it's my turn. What _exactly_ did Kinomiya tell you?" It wasn't a question; it was more of an order.

Now what? No way was she telling him just how deep she had fallen for the prank. "You don't need to know."

"Tell."

"You yourself said earlier that nobody's forcing me to tell what I don't want to say." There, she used his very own words for her defense.

"Have it your way." Kai drained the last of his drink. "I'll just ask Kinomiya myself."

Now there was no way she was allowing _that_. Who knew what that blackmailer would say? Not liking whatever possibilities Takao's answer might bring, she found no other choice. "Fine, I'll say it." So she went ahead and repeated everything the Japanese boy had told her.

By the sudden flash in Kai's eyes, Hiromi could tell he was mentally cursing Takao. Not a surprise though; after all, Takao had used Kai for this stupid prank.

"So where _were_ you lately? And today as well? We don't see much of you lately."

Kai tossed his empty cup to the nearest trashcan. Then he picked up his jacket beside Hiromi and wore it. "I don't have to tell anyone my whereabouts."

"Fine. Don't tell then." But even while saying this as she took a small gulp of her own chocolate, inside she was dying to know. But she didn't make a point of showing it, not if she wanted to make herself look worse as a fool.

Silence.

"I have my own matters to take care of. A few papers."

Red-streaked eyes blinked. "Papers? For what?"

Kai sighed. "For my grandfather's mansion." At Hiromi's blank stare, he continued. "I used to live there when I was still under the care of my grandfather. I'm sure you've heard about him from Kinomiya and the others."

Hiromi nodded. "But why would you be needing papers for the mansion?"

"My grandfather doesn't live there anymore but he still owns it. Even so, I'm the heir to all his property. Now that he's in jail, no one else but I can utilize that mansion. But I need documentary papers of formal proper acknowledgment of transferring his rights to me to own it."

"But doesn't he hold some other property in Russia as well? Are you going to take care of those too?"

"I'm not going back there." His eyes glazed. "I don't plan to."

"I see. And I take it that you're not yet done with the papers?" At his silence, she took it as a yes. "Having problems with them?" The same silence answered for her. "And they're delaying you too much?"

The way Kai was glaring at the space before him as though he was experiencing the frustration about it confirmed Hiromi's thoughts. So in a weird way, Takao _was_ telling the truth. Though he probably wasn't aware of it.

"Don't worry. It will work out." Work out. But wait, wouldn't that mean… "If the papers don't work, would that mean you'll still be staying at the dojo?"

"No idea. I don't plan to live there any longer either."

_And if he doesn't, I won't be able to see him again._ She didn't want to think about that. And not only was he the one she wouldn't be able to see in a few days' time, but so would be their other two friends. Rei would be going back to China while Max's father would be closing down the Hobby Shop and moving back to America with Max. Since there were no more threats to the team or their holy beasts, the reason they were all literally staying under one roof, there was no point in staying at the Kinomiya dojo anymore.

Suddenly she wanted to go back there and be with her friends together for the last time. "Come on, Kai. The party can't start without us." She finished her drink and tied her remaining shoe back to the bare foot, attempting to stand up but a sharp pain in her other foot sent her back to the ground again. Damn, how could she have forgotten all about her injury?

"You obviously can't walk."

"Nonsense," she shot back, trying to keep her face from twisting in pain. "I'm perfectly fine, see?"

"Drop the act, Hiromi. I already know about your foot from the way you walked earlier."

_He did? Is that why he gave me my shoe? But more importantly… Was he being nice to me only out of pity because of it?_ Hiromi didn't know what was even worse, that one or the growing physical ache.

"Give me your arm."

Hiromi watched as Kai bended down next to her, and she slid her arm over his shoulders, holding up the umbrella with her free hand over their heads. This was the style she usually saw whenever a guy tried to help his injured friend walk. Kai assisted her as she gingerly took minute steps whenever it was her injured foot's turn to move.

But a few minutes later, she couldn't take the pain anymore and paused, trying to relieve the pain with a few moments' rest. Biting her inner cheek, she was determined not to show her suffering to Kai through any form of sound.

"This is not going to work at all," Kai stated gruffly.

"I know. I'm sor—hey!" Kai's arm had already carefully slid itself under her legs, the other one supporting her back before she knew it. Her eyes widened, then lowered as he resumed walking through the hard rain with Hiromi's drenched lean form in his arms. The only thing she could do for him though in her current position was to hold the umbrella against the wind, even if her arm had to grow stiff from doing so. Even if her exhausted frame was being lulled by the warmth of Kai's now wet chest in the midst of the endless shower of disturbance hovering over them. "Thank you, Kai…" Her voice sounded so drowsy to her ears.

No answer.

Through her half-lidded eyes, Hiromi could see no definite form of expression in Kai's face but she didn't have the strength to care right now. Burying the growing tinge of pink of her cold cheeks into his warmth, she never realized how soon peaceful sleep claimed her.

* * *

Rain. Falling rain.

Why did the rain sound so muffled? Like it was hitting metal and… glass?

Was it coming from the outside?

Hiromi immediately sat up, meeting darkness all around her. It took some time for her eyes to adjust when some yellow light suddenly glared at her from above, like someone switched the lights immediately. _Where am I?_

"She's awake."

Hiromi blinked at the voice behind her and twisted her head to see a woman smiling at her. "Who are you? Where am I?" It was only then that she realized she was inside a vehicle, like a van but her seat was facing against the driver's seat. Sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the broken side seat was Kai, staring at the opposite wrecked seat, arms crossed over his chest. "Kai, how did we get here?"

"One of Kinomiya's family friends," he replied shortly. "He found us and took us in."

He? Hiromi blinked and looked behind one damp shoulder once more, surprised to find a middle-aged man in the driver's seat. "Excuse me, sir, but where exactly are we going?" The scratchiness of her voice could be heard.

"To the Kinomiya residence. Good thing my wife was able to recognize you both from my son's past beyblade tournaments. What were you kids still doing out in a harsh weather like this anyway?"

It caused her to look away, focusing on anything but Kai's intent gaze penetrating her. "I was… I guess the storm caught us on the way. Well… Thank you very much sir." Looking up, her body tried to twist itself from her seat so she could bow down before him but then caught sight of something that made her feeling quite horrified. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I must have soaked the seat and the floor when I was lying here in my sleep—"

Her apology was cut off by the man's laughter.

She blinked. Was there something so amusing?

"You worry too much, young lady." A warm smile spread on the woman's face, and for the first time Hiromi noticed a young boy sleeping soundly on her lap. "It's not a big deal for us. As a matter of fact, we regret not having any towels with us right now to get you and Hiwatari-kun dry."

"But you shouldn't have bothered! I mean, you're too kind."

"Like she said, it's not a big deal." The lean man glanced at her for a moment, the grin on his face the equivalent of his wife's. "Any friend of a Kinomiya is our friend as well."

"Well… thank you again." Hiromi couldn't find any more arguments, touched by the kindness of these strangers.

"You're always welcome, dear. We'll let you rest now." The mother turned away to leave her peace…

Leaving Hiromi once again in the same silence bathing her and Kai.

The brunette lowered her head, feeling the need to say something, anything, to fill up this awkward stillness running between them. Her eyes strained to make out his full expression. "Kai… if the papers don't work out for you… my home is open for you."

Wine eyes closed and all, she realized Kai hadn't heard her. Or wasn't listening to her.

Defeated, she looked away. "Kai, I'm so sorry. For—putting you through all these."

"The past is past. There's no point in changing that."

"I know." And in that past, she had proven to herself that she was nothing but a burden in Kai's eyes. He should be still warm and dry at the dojo as of this moment, not cold and partly wet with water nearly rising to his thighs. All because of her. But she never knew that Kai was looking for her as she was searching for him at the same time, though not for the same reason she had. _You would never understand, Kai. Trying to find you in the midst of this storm and save you was a stupid move at all. I wasn't thinking at that time. _

_But they say when you love…_ "When you love, your vision dims until you become blind. You can't see what you're really doing until it's too late."

Reddish-brown eyes widened at the words, realization of how loud they were spoken without even knowing it flooding her with horror. Even more so when she found Kai regarding her in silence. At that moment she wanted to kill herself, vanish from his sight, anything so she wouldn't have to look at him. How could she have been so _careless_? All this time that she had been so cautious not to let her feelings for him surface had been so wasted!

Kai faced the wide window before him, his gaze holding much interest in watching the rain distort the view outside the vehicle than in what her tongue had spilled.

Still bearing his face of indifference.

Which meant it was nothing to him. Nothing at all.

The two continued the ride in silence. Hiromi wanted nothing more than to discard her drenched clothes, soak herself in a warm comforting bath, slip on dry ones and directly go to sleep. Right now she could care less about the party and planning to get back at Takao this evening. Why was this trip so painfully long?

At last her prayers were answered when the van came to a sudden halt.

"Give my regards to the Kinomiya family." The driver gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Just mention 'Keito' to them and they'll know."

Somehow Hiromi managed one last smile, though it came out weak and nearly wane. "I will. Thanks again."

Her eyes fell on the umbrella lying on the floor just beside her feet, and she nudged it in Kai's direction, deciding already. "Take it." Her voice was nearly laced with fatigue. "It's useless for me since I'm wet anyway." Thanks to Takao. She might have no more strength left to kill him on the spot tonight but it didn't mean she had no revenge fantasies either. Just remembering the beating the typhoon had given her and the humiliation she suffered through it was more than enough for her. "I'll never fall for another of Takao's stupid tricks again," she promised to herself.

"Maybe you shouldn't say that aloud." Kai took hold of the umbrella. "Vows are easier to say than to keep."

A frown scrunched up Hiromi's features, dark eyes watching Kai's profile hop out of the van. "You're the last person I expect to use words much. How would you know?"

"I would." Kai started walking away from her, the umbrella above him protecting him from the downpour. "But I would never say such a promise like yours out loud."

The brunette stepped out of the van, the rain meeting her nearly damp figure again from above. "Why?" Why was she even asking anyway? But she couldn't help it even with the knowledge that her friend didn't speak much.

Kai's feet stopped on their tracks. Then he closed the umbrella.

Surprised, Hiromi tried to walk toward him, partly forgetting about her injury whose pain was fortunately tolerable by now. "What are you doing, Kai! You're going to get soaked wet!" She stopped, however, when she watched him lower the umbrella in his hand and throw it away from him.

Kai's broad back still faced her. "Because if it were about you..." Then he turned around and strode past her.

Hiromi gingerly ambled to the folded shelter lying still on the ground to pick it up, vaguely hearing the sound of the van driving away, confusion still engulfing her.

But she was even more taken aback when her slippery neck felt the soft material of Kai's scarf enveloping it. Her eyes widened but she couldn't move from the shock due to his action. _But this scarf protects Kai's neck from the cold! Why is he tying it around mine when he himself needs it?_ _He's mad at me._

"Hiromi-san? Kai?" A loud voice at the other side of the wooden gate cut through the rain. "Is that you guys?"

_Rei._ His voice made Hiromi's body jerk while she could make out his silhouette beginning to emerge from the gate. Feeling a sudden urge to clear her mind from what just happened before, she tried headed off as far as she could from Kai but then paused and looked back at him. Why was he still? She looked down on the wet pavement.

Then she felt Kai's presence as he walked past her but not before she heard him drop a few words in a low voice so that only she could hear. Her head jerked up as she silently gasped.

"And Hiromi."

The gasp was caught in her throat.

"Someday I might just take your offer."

Quickly turning around, she gazed at Kai's profile heading past Rei. The Chinese beyblader started falling into step beside the older teen with his own umbrella raised over their heads but Kai pushed its handle back at Rei, ignoring the confusion on the latter's face, refusing any form of shield against the growing rain.

Hiromi continued watching Kai's disappearing back, the dark jacket flailing wildly in the cruel wind's direction, brooks of icy rainwater swiftly climbing down his disheveled hair, his neck devoid of his own scarf, his already soaked clothes, his toned arms, down to his feet. Then she stared down at the umbrella in her hands, choosing not to use it as she went past Rei's bewildered expression over her movement, a smile secretly breaking out on her own features. She couldn't help her fingers affectionately taking hold of the scarf, remembering Kai's secret words.

Maybe there weren't any stars shooting across this cold stormy night.

But Takao's prank had instead given her a sign of wish fulfilled.

"_Because if it were about you, I would be too blind to keep that promise either." _

-Owari

* * *

**I really didn't make Kai save Hiromi from the drunkard; that would have been too predictable otherwise. Besides, the core idea that triggered the rest of the scenes in my head was that scene where they finally meet during the chorus of _Sign of Wish_. I can't leave _that_ out.  
**

**In case nobody gets it, the last line implies how Kai really feels about Hiromi. **

**And a shout out to Makiyo's video of _Sign of Wish_ when Hiromi chanced upon the appliance store, of course. ;)  
**

**Please review. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!**

_I believe my dream hakanai kedo kono sekai no katasumi de_

_Sabishisa o koraenagara kagayaku hi wo matte iru_

_Itsumade mo kienai... _

_A sign of wish_


End file.
